See the whole storyOrigin of my surname

The Zhao surname among the Han Chinese originated from the Ying surname. The ancestor of the ancient Ying surname was Boyi, whose surname was Ying and given name was Yi. He was a descendant of Zhuanxu. Among Boyi's ninth-generation descendants was a man named Zaofu, a renowned charioteer during the Western Zhou Dynasty. He acquired eight fine horses in the Taolin area, trained them, and presented them to King Mu of Zhou. King Mu provided him with a superior chariot and had Zaofu drive it, often going hunting and traveling. Once, while traveling west to Kunlun Mountain, he met the Queen Mother of the West and was so overjoyed that he forgot to return. At this time, news arrived that Xu Yanwang of the Xu state had rebelled. King Mu was very anxious. At this critical moment, Zaofu drove his chariot a thousand li a day, enabling King Mu to quickly return to Haojing, promptly dispatch troops, defeat Xu Yanwang, and quell the rebellion. Because of Zao Fu's great achievements, King Mu of Zhou bestowed upon him the city of Zhao. From then on, Zao Fu's family adopted "Zhao" as their surname, and Zao Fu became the progenitor of the Zhao surname. During the reign of King You of Zhou, due to King You's incompetent rule, Zao Fu's seventh-generation descendant, Zhao Shudai, left Zhou to serve as an official in Jin. From then on, the descendants of the Zhao family served as high officials in Jin for generations, wielding considerable power. In the early Warring States period, the Zhao family, allied with the Han and Wei families, defeated the Zhi family (the most powerful clan in Jin), dividing their fiefdoms. Subsequently, Zhao Jinghou (Zhao Xiangzi), allied with Wei Wuhou (Wei Wuhou) and Han Aihou (Han Aihou) to divide Jin, establishing the state of Zhao. By the time of his grandson Zhao Ji, he had officially gained the recognition of King Weilie of Zhou and was ranked among the feudal lords alongside the Han and Wei families.

Originating from surname changes, this surname is bestowed by emperors. Among the Xiongnu, Southern Barbarians, Jurchens, Dangxiang, and Manchus, some adopted the surname Zhao or received it from the Zhao Song Dynasty: for example, during the Han Dynasty, there were Zhao Anji (a Xiongnu) and Zhao Yefu (a Southern Barbarian); during the Five Dynasties, there was Zhao Guozhen (a descendant of the Zangke chieftain). Among the Xiongnu, Jurchens, Dangxiang, and Xianbei, those with the surnames Li, Mu, Long, Yuwen, and Tuoba all had historical figures who were bestowed the surname Zhao. At the end of the Tang Dynasty, the leader Tuoba Sigong was bestowed the surname Li for his meritorious service in assisting the Tang Dynasty in suppressing the Huang Chao Rebellion, and was appointed as the military governor of Dingnan Army, establishing a local regime centered on Xiazhou (present-day Jingbian County, Shaanxi Province). From then on, the Dangxiang regime in Xia Prefecture grew stronger day by day. After the establishment of the Zhao Song Dynasty, the Dangxiang leader of Xia Prefecture was granted the surname Zhao again by the Tuoba clan.

Originating from the surname "賥" (mào), it refers to changing one's surname due to certain circumstances. Historically, many people changed their surnames due to reasons such as avoiding disaster, marriage, adoption, or being married into another family; this is known as "賥" in surname studies. There are many such cases among the Zhao clan. Most of these occurred after the fall of the Qing Dynasty. Qing officials and their children faced danger, and fearing retaliation from other ethnic groups who had been oppressed for many years, many Manchus with surnames like Irgen Gioro and Aisin Gioro were forced to change their names, with many adopting the surname Zhao.

The surname Zhao originated from the descendants of Hachiun, the third brother of Genghis Khan, who fled war and came to Gansu and Shaanxi, where they adopted the Han surname Zhao.